In what could be seen to have wider political ramifications, a ruling NDA partner both at Centre and poll bound Bihar, on Saturday expressed regret “ to support the Nitish Kumar government as the State has seen a massive jump in crime and situation of law and order has gone for a toss. LJP leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan alleged Nitish has “surrendered” before criminals drawing sharp reaction from Nitish Kumar’s JD (U), which sought to know from LJP (Ram Vilas) president to “first ensure that his own party does not induct those with criminal antecedents”.
The Union Minister said “crime was unacceptable in the 1990s, when the state was under RJD’s rule, and it should be unacceptable even now”. Paswan damaged the JD(U)’s tally to in the 2020 assembly polls by fielding candidates of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), in all seats contested by the Nitish’s party. “The incident is deplorable. It appears that the police have surrendered (natmastak) before criminals,” Chirag said.
“I regret (afsos hota hai) having to support a government which is unable to prevent such crimes. We should think of the trauma the victims of such incidents have to undergo. The situation has, indeed, become scary,” he said. In the recent times Chirag has asserted that he would contest the upcoming assembly polls himself.
“I promise you that crime will be struck at the very roots and criminals will be behind bars after the assembly polls, with a new government in place which will work on my motto of Bihar first, Bihari first,” he said. “I promise to give you a new Bihar. But I cannot do anything on my own. All my supporters must fan out across the state and work with an intensity that should give the impression that it is Chirag Paswan himself who is contesting elections everywhere,” he added.
Chirag also lambasted the RJD, which he accused of harbouring criminals and pursuing a “divisive politics”. “The RJD takes pride in its MY (Muslim Yadav) support base. We, too, have our own MY combine, which denotes ‘mahila’ (women), who comprise half of the total population, and ‘yuva’ (the youth) to whom the future belongs,” he said.
He also spoke of his rift with estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, whom he did not mention by name, but recalled the split in the LJP and the aftermath that had left him in political wilderness for years.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad came out with a strongly worded statement on the diatribe about law and order in the state. “Those too concerned about law and order in the state would do well to first ensure that they do not induct people with criminal antecedents in their party, the JD(U) spokesman said and also asserted that the government was committed to the rule of law.